12 Answers

The Deluxe Tinker. I chose this one because it has all the tools I’ve found most useful in the past (the two blades, the scissors, and the tweezers), as well as some that I’ve wished I had (the pliers and the Phillips-head screwdriver). But it’s not so overloaded that I wouldn’t like carrying it around. I would use it mainly to fix things around the office, which is what I use my current knife for.

I’ve loved pocket knives since I was a kid but I’m terribly prone to cutting myself with any kind of blade (I’ve got the scars to prove it). That said, I prefer and own several small Swiss Army ones like this one.

As for what I use it for, I rarely use it to do more than clean my nails.

My Swiss Army knife is a Victorianox Craftsman.Because you just never know if you’ll have to saw an arm off.

But lately, I only take out my Leatherman Juice Xe6. The only think I miss on it is the scissors, but I’m more than happy to trade those for pliers. Also, it’s very pretty. I do wish it was a bit sturdier, though – the blades don’t lock in as firmly as I’d like.

Leatherman Wave. It is a tad big for every day carry but it is great for camping or walking in the woods. I can use it to cut those wild grape vines strangling my black walnut trees, or to tighten the electric fence wires, or to unscrew a pesky battery connection on the mower, or….

For every day I have a much smaller Leatherman C303 . It fits nicely inside my belt or in a pocket. (I see that it is no longer made and has been replaced by a newer model.) I particularly like the “Blade Launch” system – a small lever mounted near the blade.. You can easily open it one handed even while wearing gloves. (Spring loaded switch blades are illegal here.) I can hold the vine with one hand, whip out the knife and cut it in seconds. The serrated edge section is about 2 cm long and is perfect for a quick cut of a vine. That is much easier than carrying lopping shears with me all the time.

I keep a cheap multi-tool in the glove box of all my cars. Usually you can pick them up for few dollars at GoodWill or garage sales. I don’t care if they are rusty or if one of the blades is missing. It is far better to have something than not.